The report of OCUFA the Working Group on Student Questionnaires on Courses and Teaching (SQCT) has now been released. Prompted by increasing reports of the misuse of results and the harassment of faculty through anonymous comments, and by suggestions in the policy community that SQCT scores be used as university “performance” metrics, OCUFA established the …
The OCUFA Service Award was established six years ago to honour individuals who have done, or continue to do, exceptional work on behalf of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations and its Members. Up to six awards may be given each year and are presented during OCUFA’s Annual General Meeting, which will be held …
CAUT is soliciting nominations for the Bernice Schrank Award. The Award was established in 2013 to recognize outstanding contributions to the enforcement of academic staff workplace rights through grievance/arbitration. Criteria Eligible candidates must be or have been academic staff at a Canadian post-secondary institution. The candidates’ achievement(s) must include: – A demonstrable history of consistent …
The 2016 Ontario Budget made headlines for its changes to student financial aid in Ontario. By repackaging and re-focusing existing financial aid programs, the Government of Ontario has made a bold promise: that for certain low-income students in Ontario, tuition will now be “free.” While improving access to postsecondary education is a welcome policy goal, it …
CAUT Statement Regarding the 2016/2017 Federal Budget After years of austerity measures and attacks against science and scientists, Canada needs a new vision to get science right and improve accessibility and quality of post-secondary education. In its 2016-2017 pre-budget submission, CAUT recommends the federal government invest in Canada’s knowledge infrastructure and develop a pan-Canadian strategy …
Fifty years ago, the Government of Ontario began to invest in the university sector, increasing the number of institutions and the spaces available to qualified students. This has allowed us to make huge gains in access and quality. But now, we’re on the precipice of undoing a half century of accomplishments. Ontario’s per-student funding for …
TORONTO – The 2015 Ontario Budget repeatedly acknowledges that universities are vital to economic prosperity, yet does not make any new investments in public funding for higher education institutions. In fact, under the current plan, per-student university funding will reach its lowest level since the 1960s. This has professors and academic librarians questioning the government’s …
OCUFA launched its election website last week with the goal of educating and empowering Ontario voters and highlighting the importance of higher education in the election campaign. It offers a Take Action feature which allows voters to call on party leaders and local candidates to prioritize higher education in this election and to invest in the quality, …
The University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA) has released a piercing critique of Western’s budgeting practices. Titled “Every budget is a choice,” the report highlights how Western’s administration puts the accumulation of assets ahead of funding core activities, such as teaching. “Western is not poor,” said UWOFA president Alison Hearn. “The resources are there to …
OCUFA has responded to the unfortunate new report on faculty productivity published by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario. The response can be read on the Globe and Mail, or below. Do universities have a productivity problem, or do they have a quality problem? If you believe a new report by the government-funded Higher Education …